These Are the Next Big Names in Basketball Sneakers According to a Sports Business Expert

ESPN's Darren Rovell predicts who will be the next NBA players to cause a bidding war akin to what we're seeing right now with James Harden.

Image via Streetball

Between adidas' $200 million offer to James Harden and Nike's acquisition of the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of the 2015 NBA Draft, yesterday was a historic day in basketball sneaker news. But according to ESPN's Darren Rovell, there could be even bigger deals in the future.

When asked which players could potentially cause a bidding war akin to what we're seeing with Harden, Rovell pegged two names: Cleveland's Kyrie Irving and New Orleans' Anthony Davis.

According to Rovell, Irving is the clear contender as the "next big name in the shoe world," while Davis will have to fight an uphill battle and prove that big men can sell signature sneakers in 2015. Of course, both guys are locked into contracts with Nike, so we probably won't be seeing any big jumps anytime soon.

As for the future, Rovell expects big things from Nike's signing of No. 2 pick D'Angelo Russell and says Under Armour made a smart choice in picking up No. 7 pick Emmanuel Mudiay.